Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-09-08

caro- to have me. used to be dread
full lonesome, and didn't even make
. rag baby-though I s'pose I might
have but I always felt that mother
would think was foolish if l should
60 Juggling around doll Sometimes
l used to have a crook-n-cked squash.
but didn't like to take one and hide
it, and knew, if didn't. that by and
by it would be cut up and cooked; and
that used to worry me all the time 1
played with it SO 1 couldn't get any
comfort out of tit
leaned forward and took the doll
from Miss Persis, for it was beginning
to have a new interest for me.
"Where did you get this one?" 1
said.
well, l had to make believe I had
one at first. Icalled her Amanda NAL
vina. after some one in book read
once. Twas a lovely book. and I
thought it was beautiful name. l
used to think about my doll great
deal, and to talk to it; but it was kind
of hard having it all make believe. l
wished had something to be Malvina.
l used to wonder if l couldn't earn
money and buy one. Once did earn
money picking berries for the old min
listers wife, but l never dared tell
mother what l wanted to spend it for.
and she seemed to expect me to lay it
away and put some of it in the mis-
sionary box. l never had any money
given me except on Sundays cent
for the plate in Sunday-schoo!. used
to wonder if the heather wanted any
thing as much as l wanted doll.
"When grew up to be big girl l
used to 60 into the city sometimes with
mother. and then l saw real dolls in
the store windows. Such lovely ones!
There was one window l always passed
that had lot in it. They all looked
good deal alike, so l picked out par
ticular corner, and called the one that
sat there Amanda Malvina. She al
ways seemed to look little different
from the others. thought she looked
at me and knew me every time Icame.
l just counted on going into town. We
didn't go very often. l felt SO glad
when mother said she had to go into
the city; and for weeks afterwards l
remembered how Malvina looked.
When we got to the street used to be
so afraid there wouldn't be any dolls in
the window, or that the store had
moved. or something, but she was al
ways there. in my corner"
Miss Persis was not thinking of me
now-nor talking TO me.
II was lonely enough when mother
was alive. for she was always a quiet
sort of woman; but when she died it
was good deal worse. The day l
came back to the house from the fun
eral it seemed to me as if every thing
in the world had died, and the house
was so still and strange that it seemed
to me that just must have some one
to speak to. 1t don't seem nice to say
that thinking of doll would cure such
Consequences; but, really. when l
thought of Amanda Malvina it did
make me feel as though 1 had some
one to turn to.
Il had to 60 to town pretty often,
right after that, for there was some
business abou: a little money that
mother had that had to be attended to-
1t was real comfort to see Amanda
Mo1v-t,,o Offan I ,,cnI 70 oct
the window when first got there, and
when went back to the train I used
to stop and sort of say goodbye to
her. was afraid some one would no.
tlce; but there were lots of things in
the window, and of course they didn't
know what l was looking at. BY and
by all the business was settled; and.
the last day Invent in.l knew could mt
come again for a long time. When l
stopped at that window to say good
bye. it just didn't seem as though l
could leave her. She looked as if she
hated to have me go, and when l
thought that may be she wouldn't be
there next time, and may be I'd never
see her again. just walked right into
that store, and before l hardly knew
it I'd bought her!
"All the way back in the train l
kept thinking how foolish l was, and
how dreadful extravaganza to spend so
much money on something l didn't
need. was so worried that l about
concluded that I'd go back the next
day and see if the man wouldn't take
her back.
"But when I was home, and I'M
wrapped her. and really had her in my
arms. I couldn't have taken her back
any more than if she had been my
child.
why. the next morning when l
woke up guess felt nicer than l ever
did before in my life! Just at first l
couldn't think what made me feel so,
and then remembered that Amanda
Malvina was in the chest of drawers.
and when l took her out she really
seemed to smile.
"At first kept her in the drawer all
the time. guess the first time took
her out was one night l had an awful